


The Dance

by things_that_matter



Series: CMBYN: Life with Ollie [49]
Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017), Call Me By Your Name - All Media Types, Call Me by Your Name - André Aciman
Genre: Brothers, Comfort, Dancing, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Intimacy, M/M, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:14:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29780145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/things_that_matter/pseuds/things_that_matter
Summary: Ollie has to dance for a very special occasion, but he lacks the moves.
Relationships: Oliver/Elio Perlman
Series: CMBYN: Life with Ollie [49]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2094873
Comments: 16
Kudos: 25





	The Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt by the one and only, ChalametGal.

“Are you excited?” Ollie asked Elio and Oliver, eyes darting back and forth from one to the other. Ollie’s ongoing chattering and bouncing in the seat made his own excitement apparent. 

“I’m excited,” Oliver said, not sounding particularly excited, thanks to the sedative he’d taken. He tried to keep it a secret that he was afraid of flying, but Elio knew. He let Oliver continue to believe he didn’t, though. 

Satisfied with Oliver’s response, Ollie then turned his attention to Elio, looking up at him with expectant, inquisitive eyes. Elio smiled. “I’m super duper excited,” he said. Ollie bounced in his seat a few more times. “Me too!” he practically squealed. Oliver patted him gently on the leg. “Remember the rules for airplanes,” he quietly reminded the little boy.

Ollie sighed slightly. He _was_ in fact super, duper, excited. They were on a flight to Italy, and it would be Ollie’s first time to visit since he’d first come to live with Elio and Oliver. He couldn’t wait to see Anchise and Mafalda. His other friends. And most of all, of course, Marzia. In fact, it was for Marzia that they were making the trip, as she was getting married and had invited them. When they arrived at the house, having rented a vehicle, Ollie was delighted. He ran around exploring every nook and cranny of the house, relieved to find that it was still as it had been when he left it. As he was excitedly dashing through the house, the back door suddenly opened, and Marzia stood smiling, looking beautiful and wearing a bright smile. It was good to see her happy, Elio thought. Oliver greeted her first, letting her kiss the air beside his cheeks as she greeted him in French. Then Elio greeted her with an awkward hug, which she accepted as graciously as she would have a more elegant embrace. Then Ollie saw her, and he came bounding toward her so quickly that all three adults wore a deer-in-headlight expression. At the last moment, just as Ollie was about to plow into her, Oliver reached down and scooped him up, letting him dangle in the air in front of him. “Easy, buddy,” he reminded Ollie before setting him gently on his feet. 

Ollie smiled. “I’m little, but I’m strong. It’s ‘cause I’m a yellow belt. Do you know what a yellow belt is? It’s a kicker who is NOT a brand new white belt.” He gently hugged her around the waist, and she leaned down and squeezed him in return. She had missed him so much it hurt. As they separated from the embrace, Ollie saw tears in her eyes, and he didn’t understand why. Grown ups cry for the strangest reasons; he had accepted that long ago. 

Marzia sat with them then, and they all talked for a long time. They reminisced about Samuel and Annella, of course, and Elio found it much less painful than he’d expected. He found that he actually enjoyed talking about his parents with someone who had known them nearly as long as he. He could see that Ollie was enjoying hearing about his parents, too. Then Marzia filled them in on the details of her wedding. She’d asked Elio to walk her down the aisle, as her father had passed away some years before. He had been surprised by the request, but he’d agreed to do it, of course. How could he refuse? Finally, as she got up to leave, she turned toward Ollie, who was by now nearly asleep in Oliver’s lap. 

“I almost forgot,” Marzia said, and there was an urgency to her voice. “Ollie, would you dance the second dance with me?” 

Ollie looked confused. “I’m only seven,” he tried to explain, but for some strange reason it made everyone laugh. Adults were so weird. They explained to him then that the bride and groom would dance first, but then the groom would dance with his mother and the bride would usually dance with her father. However, since Marzia’s father wasn’t living, she’d need a dance partner and there was no one she’d love to dance with more than Ollie. Ollie didn’t get to answer, because Elio and Oliver were so overwhelmed by how adorable the idea was. Before Ollie knew what happened, Marzia was gone, Elio and Oliver were planning where to get him a suit, and he hadn’t gotten to tell them that as much as he loved Marzia, no, he wouldn’t dance with her. 

The following day, Ollie tried to tell Elio when they were shopping for his apparel for the wedding. “Elio?” he asked as Elio examined the ties. 

“Uh, yeah?” Elio mumbled, only half listening. 

“I love Marzia, but I don’t want to dance at her wedding,” he said, looking up at Elio hopefully, but Elio didn’t seem to hear him. “Elio?” 

Then it all seemed to register with him at once as he said, “Oh Ollie, it is an honor to be asked. You can’t say no.” 

Ollie didn’t think that was logical, though. If you’re asked to do something, doesn’t that mean you get to say yes or no? Seeing that Elio was in no frame of mind to listen, he gave up. Marzia wouldn’t listen to him. Elio wouldn’t listen to him. And if Elio wouldn’t, then that meant Oliver wouldn’t because they were always on each other’s sides. He had considered asking Mafalda, but she was always too busy. Finally, he wandered down to the river, located his favorite boulder, relieved that it was still there, and climbed on top of it to sit and consider his problem. 

The moment he got settled on top of the boulder, he heard his name being called in the distance. It was Oliver’s voice calling him, and Ollie rolled his eyes after glancing around to make sure no one would see him. Then, feeling especially emboldened, he muttered to himself, “I’m not even _answering_.” 

It was of no benefit, however, because their family had this weird rule: if one of them was missing, the others would actually go and find the person. So, only a moment later he heard Oliver’s relieved voice. He was much nearer now, Ollie could tell even though his face was buried in his knees. Ollie thought he must be bat-like in order to determine Oliver’s proximity without looking up. 

“Ollie! There you are!” Ollie felt a bit guilty when he heard the relief in Oliver’s voice. “I’ve been looking for you, buddy. Is everything okay?” 

Ollie nodded, face still buried in his knees. 

“Hmmm,” Oliver said. “You sure?”

“Yes!” Ollie answered, a little sharply. Then he waited for Oliver to reprimand him, but he didn’t. 

Instead, he just perched on the boulder next to Ollie and rocked lightly into him, as if their sides were playing a friendly game of bumper cars. “Ollie, are you upset?” he finally asked. Ollie could tell by the way he posed the question that he already knew the answer. So Ollie didn’t see any reason to pretend otherwise. He nodded. 

Though his head was still down, he felt Oliver move beside him, and somehow he knew Oliver was nodding, too. “Okay. That’s a start, Ollie. When you talk to us, we can help.”

Ollie whined something into his knees, but Oliver couldn’t make it out. After being prompted, Ollie whined more clearly, “You can’t help with this.” 

“Hmmmmmm,” Oliver said, thinking. Finally he asked, “Are you sad because Marzia is getting married? You know, it doesn’t mean you won’t still be friends.” 

Ollie raised his head then and gave Oliver a most unfriendly look. For some reason, Oliver smiled. Ollie found this confusing, because it hadn’t been intended as a smile-provoking look. “Okay, then what are you upset about that I can’t help with? I can help with lots of things you know,” Oliver said, and the way he spoke made Ollie believe him. He wondered if he’d ever be able to help with so many things. 

Finally he explained to Oliver, “I am happy Marzia is getting married but I just don’t want to _dance_ with her.” 

Oliver’s smile broadened and moved up into his eyes. “Well, Ollie, it is only a dance. The bride will dance with many people. She might even dance with Elio or me.” 

Ollie felt tears of frustration stinging his eyes, but he bit them back. “No one listens!” he groaned.

“I’m sorry, Ollie. You tell me what’s bothering you, and I promise I won’t say anything until you tell me you’re finished.” 

Ollie gave him a long, appraising look, as if he were trying to determine whether he would, indeed, let him finish. Finally, he drew a deep breath and explained the quandary he was in. He explained that Marzia didn’t just want to dance with him, but she wanted to do a special dance and everyone would be looking. He explained that it was supposed to be a dance between Marzia and her father, and Ollie didn’t want to disappoint her. After he’d explained everything thoroughly, most of which Oliver already knew, Ollie finally said, “And I don’t even know how to dance. I’m only seven!” They looked at each other for a long time then before Ollie finally remembered Oliver’s promise and added, “And that’s all.” 

Oliver took a deep breath as if he had been jumping at the bit to interrupt Ollie but had somehow managed not to. This made Ollie snicker, the first smile Oliver had seen on him all day. “Well, it so happens that you’re in luck,” Oliver said with an air of mystery to his voice. 

Ollie tilted his head slightly to one side, while also twisting his mouth into a most curious look.  
“Why am I lucky?” Ollie was almost afraid to ask. 

“Well,” Oliver leaned in closer as if he had a great secret, “I don’t like to brag, but I’m kind of great at dancing.” 

Ollie’s eyes widened, and his eyebrows jumped up a little higher. “Will you teach me?” he asked. 

For the next hour, Ollie and Oliver hid in the attic, playing music and dancing. Ollie was hesitant and frightened at first, but it did not take long for him to loosen up. Before long, he was stepping and gliding across the rough wooden attic floors, moving his feet just the way Oliver had shown him. 

“Nice! Looking great!” Oliver encouraged as he took a break on the side, watching Ollie put the different moves together. “Okay, now let me show you the grand finale,” he said, getting back up. He didn’t realize that Elio had snuck in and was observing them from where he stood near the door. “So, when the music really gears up and it’s the climax, or the most exciting part of the song, you can throw your arms up like this,” Oliver demonstrated by waving his arms above his head as he continued to move his feet. Ollie watched for a moment and then gave it a try. Elio called from his spot by the door, “Just like that, Ollie, but keep moving your feet…. Like this!” Elio danced over to them.

Ollie smiled, delighted to see his brother so he could show off his dance moves. Oliver was slightly taken aback and lowered his arms for a moment, but then Elio was there dancing with him, and everything was once again as it should be. Together the three danced and danced, the movement a perfect reflection of the joy and freedom they felt with one another. 

  
  



End file.
